Sngle-lever gear-shifting mechanism.



R. HUH. `SINGLE`LEVER GEAR SHIFTING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1909.

1,1 22,1 1 .Patented 1350.22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

A E. HUIT. v SINGLE LKBYgf-QEAR SHIFTING MBcHAN1sM. I y APLmA-'Ivuy FILED MAY s, 1909. l i 1,122,1 l 8. Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

R. HUFF. SINGLE LEVER GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1909. ,1 1 22,1 1 8 Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3 SHHETS-SHEET 3.

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r .TED @mC-KE' v RUSSELL Herr, or Dn'rnoIr, MICHIGAN, n ssrenon, :BY MnsnnnssIeNMnnrs, To

',raoKAnn Moron oar. coMrANY, or Dnrnorr, MICHIGAN, n conso-.sanear on MICHIGAN.

v SINGLE-Leven GEAR-sername MECHANISM.

Specieaton of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed 'May 6, 1909. Serial Nog 4$f1,455.

To all whom it may/ concern Be it known that I, RUSSELL Horn, a citizen of the United States` and resident of Detroit-,Wayne county, Michigan, have invented certain -new and useful Improve@ ments in Single-Lever Gear-Shifting Mechanism, of which the following is a speoication.

This invention relates to gear-shifting mechanism and in particular to gear-shifting mechanism of the type in which by the operation of a single leverv the gears may y be shifted to obtain three forward speeds and a reverse.

'The objects of' this invention are to improve they construction of the operatingk mechanism, to prevent movement of the operating lever to reversing position except whend'esired, and to improve the constructionin general.;-

Thehand-lever is connected to a shaft which yis mountedin bearingdugs in the frame `andthe shaftis connected by proper linkinechanism to the change speed mech#- fanisrn 'to shift 'the gears to` different positions@A AThe hand-lever moves along a guide or Ysector back and forth for changes in forward speeds. The side of the guide `or seetorl nearest the operator is provided with a yrecess' in which the hand-leveris moved for reversing. A brake-lever is mounted on a studon the end of the shaft and has a. guide located outside of the hand-lever guide. By'

so mounting and constructing the hand and brake lever guides the hand-lever -.when

l moved to reversing position is moved away from the brake-lever and ythus all interference between the two levers is prevented. In order to bring about such a construction the reverse gear must be connected tothe hand-leverthrough a bell-crank'lever. y

In the construction of a hand-lever guide of the above type in which the hand-lever moves into a recess in the guide when moved to reversing position,there is danger vthat it mav be-moved into the recess when notdesired. Therefore this z invention :provides means for normally preventing vtransverse movement of the hand-leverl into the recess Vto reversing position. -Thisfmeans consists of abridgingy device lconnected to the-handlever which is adapted to bridge the recess,

fand a button is provided on the hand-lever by the depression of which it may bethrown out of operative position and allow fransverse movement of the lever.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view L of the vehicle' frameshowing the. change Y speed and reverse gears and the hand-lever for opera-ting the same; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the hand and 4brake levers and `their guides; Fig. 3V is a transverse section along the shaft Fig. -t is a detail plan view ofthe vbell-crank l'ever connection between the hand-lever and the reversing gear; Fig. 5 is asection through thehand-lever and the guide; Fig. 6 is a side' elevation of the handlever showing the bridging device; and Fig.'

7 is an elevation of the otherside of the lever showing kthe guidey also.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame "of lthe vehicle, B the axle and l,

differential casing, and `C the gear casing.

The main driving shaft 10 extends from kthe motor into the gear casing. A'countershaft 11 has rigidly connected to itfgears 12,

13 and 14. Upon a shaft 15 is mountedav` gear 16 which meshes with gear 14. l A sliding sleeve provided with gears, 18,' 19'isl splined on the drivingshaft 10 and vis adapted to cooperate with gears 1 2, '13 and 1G to obtain the three speeds forward. Upon the shaft 15 is mounteda bevel pinion 20'which` meshes with a bevel gear21-on the differential housing. A wide gear 22rmounted upon a rock-shaft in the usual wav. is constructed to be thrown 4into mesh with gears 1,2' and 19 when in the position .shown in Fig'. 1f to obtain the reverse movement. 'Gear 22 is constructed to be thrown to operative and inoperative position by means of an larm 124 connected to a link 25. The sliding gears-. i

18, 19 are operated bv means of a fork connected to a link 23 which is Vattached to an arm 27 on the hollow shaft 26l` i The lconstruction described so far is wellknown.

The shaft 26 extendsJ across the vehicle framegandis mounted. in' bearing on the "left-side of.-,the framefand extendsthrough aibearinglsleeve orlug28 upon a'bracket 29 therefrom the side member 34, the members 33v .and 34 forming the sector or guide for the hand-lever 32.` A spaced member 35 is y'also secured to the bracket 29 and forms-a guide for the 'brake-lever36, which is mounted upon a stud 37 having its shank brazed'in the hollow shaft 26. Anut 38 on the stud secures the brake-lever in place.

scribed.

The side `member 33'is provided with a deep l. recess 39into which-thehand-lever 32 may be swung for a purpose to behereafter -de- Upon the bracket 40 secured to the side Vmember ofthe frame is pivotally mounteda bell-crank lever 41 having one of its arms 42 pivotally connected to the link 25.

TheI other arm; 43'ha-s pivotally mounted upon it a link l.member 44 provided with a `slideway 45. A slide 46'in` the form of an arc is attached to an extension-47 of the hand-lever 32. This slide coperates with 'and slideswithin the slideway' 45, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order `to shift the gears for different speeds forward, thehand-lever is movedback and forth between the guide members 33 and 34. The hand-lever being secured'to the sleeve by means of the pivot -pin 31, which sleeve 1s rigidly connected to the 'shaft A26, transmits this back and forth ,movement to the shaft and through the arm -27 thereon to the link 23 vand gears 18 and 19. During thismovenient the slide 4 6 will slide in its slideway 45 agdnoy motion will be transmitted to the bell-crank lever 41.

In order to throw into operation the reverse gear 22 the hand-lever 32 is moved opposite the recess 39 and moved inwardly away from thel brake-lever. The hand-lever in this movement swings about mn31-and through bell-crank lever 41 and link4 25, moves the reverse gear 22 into operative position. It will be seen that duri-hg this movement the sleeve30 remains stationary and therefore no movement is transmitted to the shaft`26. The position'of the lever in the guide before it moves into the recess*- 39, that is7 when it is in the'position shown in Fig. 3, corresponds to the neutral position. o

In the construction so far described there is danger that thehand-l'ever 32 willbe moved intolthe recess 39 when not desired. Tl^refore "iin order to prevent such inad vertent movement there is provided a. bridg-v ing device lwhich normally prevents such movement of thevhand-lever/ y( Referring to Figs. l5, 6 and 7, the side member 33 is provided withv two lugs 51 located on opposite sides of the recess -39.

A, sliding rod 52 extends throughthe handlever and is provided with a sliding member 53 upon the lower end of which is mounted' a bridge 54 whichA as shown in Fig. 7 is of suliicientwidth to bridge the recess 39. A

retaining plate 55, attached to \the `hand- .against reversing.

lever, permits the removal of the sliding member 53 and its bridge and also forms -a' v stop member for'a shoulder. on the bridge 54. A spring 56 located within the hollow handlenormally retains the shoulder and plate 55 in contact and the parts in the position shown in Fig. 5. A button 57 is mounted on the -end of the rod 52 and so v constructed lthat bythe depression of the button the bridge 54 is moved below the lugs 51, allowing inward movement of the 'hand-lever into the recess 39 to'reverse the vehicle. It will therefore be seenP that when the bridge is in operative position to brid e the lugs 51 as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 t e liandelever 32 may be moved back and forth along its guide, all danger of inadvertent movement into the recess 39 and to reversing position being avoided, but by a depression of bar 52 by pressure of the thumb onv the'butt'on 57 the bridge can readily be thrown out of operative position and the lever to reversing-position. When the lever is in reversing position, the spring56 will yieldingly hold the bridge or latch 54 in engagement with the lower faces of the lugs 51. If now the lever is moved to neutral position, the bridge or latch will automatically'snap over the lugsand lock the lever 'Although the bridgin the form of an elongate lug mounted'upon the lhand-lever, it Will be evident that it' is not absolutely necessary that this bridging device be mounted upon the hand-lever, nor `need it have the specific construction shown, and it is to b e understood therefore' that this invention is not to be limited to the specilic construction "shown and described.

-What I claim is: A

1. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a su porting bracket having a bearing lug, ai sha t mounted in said lug, a speed controlling lever fixed to said shaft to operate the same, a bearing lug formed on the endof thelshaft outside the speed controlling lever, and a brakellever mourted for pivotal movement on the bearing lug. r

2. In .controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a guide, ahandleverl mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, and means for normally vpreventing transverse movement lwithout affecting rthe freedom of longitudevice is shown inl vehicles, the combination oftafguide, la handlever mounted forl movement l along and transverselyof said guide, saidgnide lbeing constructed to permit transverse movement at a predetermined po1nt, and means for normally preventing transverse movement l without affecting the freedom of'longitudin nal movement.

5... In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of`a'g'uide,l a hand lever mounted for movement along the guide, and transversely of the same at a predetermined point, and means on the lever for 'normally preventing' transverse movement without affecting the freedom of longitudinal movement.

6. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a guide, ahandlever mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, said guide being constructed to lpermit transverse movement at a predetermined point, and to restrain transverse movement at all other' points along the guide, and means on the lever for normally preventing transverse movement Without affecting the freedom of longitudinal movement.

7. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a'guide, a handlever mounted for movement along and transversely of'said guide, said guide being constructed to `permit transverse movement at a predetermined point, means for normallypreventing transverse movement, and

means on the lever for controlling said reventing means Without affecting the ree- 8. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a guide, ahandlever 'mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, and a cross-bar on the hand-lever for normally `preventing transverse movement Without affecting the freedom of longitudinal movement.

9. In controlling'mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a guide, ahandlever mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, said guide being provided with' a recess into which the handlever may be moved, and a bridging device for bridging said recess.

10. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of aguide, a handlever mounted for movement along and transversely ofsaidguide, said guide ybeing provided with arecess into which the handlever may be moved, and a bridging device for bridging said recess and normally preventing transverse movement of the handlever, said bridging device adapted to be thrown out of bridging position to permittransverse movement.

`11. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a guide, ahand-4 lever mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, said guide being provided-:with a recess into Which-the handlever may be moved, and a bridging device on=thel1`andelever for bridging the recess.

' 12.' In controlling mechanism for motor 70 vehicles, the combi-nation of a guide, a handlever mounted for lmovement'. along and transverselyof said'guide, said guide being provided With a recess into which the handleverma'y he moved, a bridging device on the 75 lian'dlever for bridging the recess, and an operating button on the hand-lever for throwing the bridging device out of bridging position.

13. In controlling mechanism for motor 8O vehicles, the combination with a guide, of a hand lever mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, and a spring actuated latch for preventing transverse movement of said lever without affecting the freedom of longitudinal movement.

14. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a guide, of a hand lever mounted for movement along and transversely of said guide, a latch for preventing Itransverse movement of said lever Without affecting the freedom of longitndinal movement, means for opening said latch. and means for automatically restoring said latch to operative position. 95

15. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a guide, of a hand lever mounted for movement along.

. and transversely of said guide, a latch for latching said lever against transverse movement without aiiecting the freedom of longitudinal movement, means for opening said latchto permit said lever to move transversely, and means for automatically restoring said latch to closed position when said lever is moved back.

16. 'In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a guide comprising side members, one of said side members being provided with a recess, of a hand 11G lever mounted for movement along said guide and transversely of the same into said ..recess, a latch on said lever adapted to engage said guide to prevent transverse movement of said lever Without afecting the freedom of longitudinal movement, means for operating said latch, and a spring for restoring it.

17. In controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a guide comrecess, a lug on one of said side members, a

prisng side members, one of said side memin engagementwith the lower face of said bers being provided with a recess, of a hand lug.

lever mounted lforA movement4 "along" said guide and transversely of the same into said" in presence o two witnesses.

- A RUSSELL HUFF. latch on said lever adapted to engage said Witnesses: lugymea'ns for moving said latchl below EDITH N. HEARN, said lug, and a spring to hold said latch CLARA I. DALE.

'In testimon whereof I :ix my signature 

